Do I Qualify?

Most people who have healthy eyes and have mild to moderate refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism) are good candidates for LASIK vision correction surgery.

The ideal LASIK patient is between the ages of 21 and 40, but even older adults who need bifocals due to presbyopia can be good candidates for the procedure.

Possible reasons that LASIK surgery might not be advisable include (but are not limited to):

• Severe refractive errors. If you have very high amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, LASIK may not be able to fully correct your vision, and the benefits of LASIK surgery may not justify the risks.

• Unstable vision. LASIK is usually not recommended for teenagers under 18 because their vision often is still changing. Your vision should be stable for at least one to two years before having LASIK surgery.

• Dry eyes. Both the quality and the quantity of tears you produce are factors in the development of dry eyes, which also can affect healing after eye surgery.
Because eye surgeons increasingly recognize that the best LASIK outcomes may depend on controlling dry eyes, you probably will undergo screening in advance of a procedure.

• Keratoconus or other corneal thinning disorders.

• Other eye problems, such as cataracts, advanced glaucoma, past ocular herpes infections, and eye problems caused by diabetes or other health problems.

Please watch this video, "Are You Thinking About LASIK?"

• Large pupils. If you have very large pupils, you may be more likely to experience bothersome night vision problems after LASIK, including glare, halos and ghost images.

• Immune system disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, collagen vascular disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and AIDS. Use of medications such as steroids and immunosuppressants can slow or prevent proper healing of the eye after LASIK.

During your pre-operative exam, your eye doctor will discuss any reasons why LASIK might not be a good choice for you.